Dry Cleaners

We graduated from International Fabricare Institute in the USA, giving us the experience, we needed to inject expertise into this guide. 

 

By sharing everything you need to know about dry cleaning, this may be the most helpful guide on this subject that you’ll ever lay eyes on.

 

So, let’s get right to it!

 

When to Dry Clean

 

If you’re unsure about if you should dry clean a product on not, the first simple step to take is to observe your garment’s care label and spot the dry cleaning symbols

 

It’s worth noting here that machines do not perform all dry cleans. Some garments requires Handwash or be done with manual dry cleaning

 

A Bit of History

 

Dry cleaning was first invented by Thomas Jennings, the first tailor from New York, in 1821.

 

Want to know a fun fact? 

 

This man was the first African American patent holder for developing the dry cleaning process.

 

Thanks to Jennings, we can clean and expand the life of our favourite garments!

 

But that’s enough history – let’s talk you through the actual process and get down to the details!

 

How Royal Clean dry cleans your clothes

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1. Solvents used

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While the process still involves liquid, we soak the garments in a water-free liquid solvent, otherwise known as tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), or perc. Alternatives such as petroleum spirits and 1-bromopropane are also sometimes used.

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   2. Machine

 

The dry cleaning machines we use are similar to a blend of a clothes dryer and a domestic washing machine. Clothes are placed in the washing chamber, rotating whilst enclosed in an outer shell. The outer shell contains the solvent.

 

The washing chamber is filled one-third full with solvent and starts to rotate, stirring the clothing. During the cycle, the solvent passes through a filtration chamber and then is transported back into the washing chamber. Then, the solvent is taken away and fed into a distillation unit comprising a boiler and a condenser. The condensed solvent goes to a separator unit where any excess water is separated from the solvent and sent into the clean solvent tank.

 

During the first several minutes of the cycle, solvent-soluble soils dissolve, and insoluble soils come off. At the end of the process, our machines begin to rinse the garments with freshly distilled solvent. This rinse stops any discoloration triggered by soil particles being absorbed back onto the material surface from the unclean working solvent.

 

Following the rinse cycle, our machines begin to recover the solvents used in the process, with the washing chamber being drained. After this, the drying cycle commences. Warm air is circulated throughout the basket, evaporating solvent traces from the garments. This exhausted warm air goes through a chiller unit where solvent vapor is condensed and returned to the distilled solvent tank.

 

Finally, a deodorizing cycle cools your garments, removing any further traces of solvent by circulating cool outside air over your garments and then through a vapor recovery filter. Now, your clean clothes will be ready for pressing and finishing!

 

    3. Manual

 

When your clothes must be manually cleaned, we apply and remove the solution inch by inch utilizing specialized tools. Afterward, the garments are hang-dried for the best results. 

 

Royal Clean’s 6-step process of dry cleaning

 

So, by this point, you may be wondering what a professional service like Royal Clean’s dry cleaning process actually is.

 

This procedure involves six steps, which can be found below.

 

1. Inspection

 

We check your items for stains, damages, pockets, loose buttons, and buttons that cannot be dry cleaned. 

 

They may not be able to be dry cleaned because of melting or other damaging issues, 

 

so it’s always worth taking a look.

 

Additionally, we tag the clothes to avoid mixing and misplacing the clothes of each customer. 
 

2. Dirt Removal

 

Royal Clean utilizes spotting machines, brushes, and clever stain removal techniques to ensure that your clothes are as clean as you could possibly hope for.
 

3. Cleaning

 

The cleaning procedure depends on if we can machine-wash or have to manually dry clean your clothes.

 

Royal Clean takes pride in only using the gentlest, non-toxic chemicals and dry cleaning options that are environmentally friendly. 

 

This ensures that the company can run efficiently whilst still looking out for the betterment of our planet. 

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4. Ironing

 

Following the cleaning step, 

 

we then move on to ironing. We use starch, a traditional aid for ironing, to make the process easier, make garments crisper, and add body and detail to your fabrics, such as the collar of shirts. Made from corn, rice, or wheat, this product is natural, meaning it works efficiently on 100% cotton, cotton blends, and linen to offer satisfying crispness to your clothes.

 

Furthermore, steam is also used in the ironing process. It is used to remove any creases in your garments and relax the fabric material. Indeed, the higher the steam output, the more efficient it will be at smoothing out garments.

 

Another ironing tip we offer to obtain the best results is to iron your clothes inside-out. 

 

Since many fabrics scorch easily when being ironed, it’s worth ironing them inside-out to avoid any iron marks, meaning that you won’t risk changing the fabric’s appearance. 

 

Dark fabrics and wool especially should always be ironed inside-out to prevent them from getting a shine. Ironing with this technique will still allow the same amount of smoothness but will reduce the risk of damage.

 

A final technique we suggest with ironing is to utilize a pressing

cloth. As a cloth which sits between your garment and your iron, this will be one of the least expensive yet most used objects within your pressing tool kit.

 

Pressing cloths protects your fabric from melting or scorching, prevents sheen, and stops your iron plate from sticking to the garment. It even stops poor-quality printing from transferring to the iron, meaning that your clothes and iron will be fully protected.

 

5. Finishing

 

When finishing up, we always find it’s worth giving your clothes a final inspection. With this, Royal Clean checks each of your garments for creases, ensuring that no wrinkles have been missed in the ironing process. If we spot any, we go back over the fabric with the iron to smooth it out. Any perfectionist may

feel bothered by this otherwise!

 

6. Packaging

 

The final step in this process is the packaging up of the garments.

After the clothes have been inspected, dry cleaned, ironed, and checked again, you need to put these clothes away. At Royal Clean, we use hangers to hang your garments ready for delivery. This makes it quick and straightforward for customers to access their favourite outfits rather than having to sort through a rather large pile of materials.

 

Additionally, we line the hangers with paper to protect garments like pants from scratching on the hanger. Thus, whilst using an environmentally friendly material, we can become eco-conscious as well as conscious of the protection of your clothes.

 

Conclusion

 

I hope this guide has shown you how quality services like Royal Clean can help you out with dry cleaning.

 

Now, I’d like to flip things over to you:

 

What #1 tip from this guide have you found the most helpful?

 

Either way, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and let me know what you’ve taken away from this guide!

 

Dry Cleaning FAQs

 

Q. Is dry cleaning really dry?

 

A. Whilst you may think the term ‘dry cleaning’ involves a sense

of dryness, this is actually relatively misleading. The name refers to using chemical solvents instead of soap and water when removing grease, dirt, and stains. Kerosene was one of the first solvents, although others have been adopted in the process since it had the risk of being flammable.

 

Q. How do I really know which garments should be laundered and

which can be dry cleaned?

 

A. The best way to do this is to check the care instructions

on your garment’s label. This is usually found on the inside of the garment. As a general rule, dry cleaning is generally suitable for synthetic materials and more sophisticated items, such as delicate dresses and suits. Laundry is typically ideal for more natural materials, including those which make up pants, T-shirts, and socks.

 

Q. What actually happens to my clothes when they are being

dry cleaned?

 

A. In this process, a pump pulls dry cleaning solvent from a tank, sending it through filters which remove impurities. This filtered solvent proceeds to enter a cylinder, interacting with the fabrics to remove any soil and dirt. Then, the solvent goes back into a holding tank so the process can start all over again.

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To take good care of your clothing and make it last, you need to know how to care properly for each piece.

 

For many clothing items, they require services from dry cleaners to keep them looking great.

 

Royal Clean offers several different services for cleaning your clothing. You can have clothing and linens washed in a traditional laundry as well as getting items dry cleaned.

 

We also offer specialized services that allow you to obtain exactly the type of cleaning and maintenance that you want for your items. 

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Whether you want an eco-friendly cleaning done or you simply want your items cleaned ASAP, there are services to accommodate your wardrobe.

 

You can even get your items pressed so that they look their very best when you wear them.

 

Royal Clean gets your clothes looking great every time.

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Dry cleaning is an especially good choice for fine clothing, as it helps prevent the fading and shrinking associated with a traditional laundry.

 

When you choose dry cleaning for your clothes, you get a deep cleaning that can work wonders for stains and reduces the wear and tear on your outfits.

 

With the high cost of new, high-quality clothes, you’ll save plenty with our dry cleaning.

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Getting dry cleaning done regularly can keep your clothes looking great for a long time.

 

This can be especially important when you have garments made from delicate fabrics like silk.

 

For many fabrics, dry cleaning is the only way to care for those items properly so that they aren't washed and warped in the laundry as happens with some fabrics.

 

Protect your investment in clothing by caring for them properly and choosing Royal Clean.